Apparatus for treating chocolate



I0, 1929. w; E. PRESCOTT AL 1,727,444

APPARATUS FOR TREATING CHOCOLATE Filed Dec. 15 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 P 1929- w. E. PRESCOTT i-rr AL 1,727,444

APPARATUS FOR TREATING CHOCOLATE Filed 1290.15 1921 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Even/ions; fiffrwcozb Jj.,25uace. by their .Ativrng and,

Patented Sept. 10, 1929.

UNITED fiTA'ltlS main PATENT oFF cE.

WILLIAM EDW.A.RD PRESCOTT AND JOHN PERC IVAL BUNCE,

or Lennon, ENGLAND,

ASSIGNORS TO BAKER PERKINS CO. INC., OF SAGINAW, MICHIGAN, A CORPORA- TION OF NEW YORK.

APPARATUS Fen TREATING CHOCOLATE.

Application filed December 15, 1927, Serial No. 240,266, and in Great Britain December 17,1928.

This invention relates to apparatus for the treatment of chocolate by the process known as conching, in which process the chocolate is kept in continuous agitation for developing or in'iproving the flavor thereof.

This coaching has hitherto been usually performed by means of a heavy roller immersed in the chocolate contained in a tank or couch and moved or swung to and fro the whole time the process is in operation so that the required agitation is secured together with a grinding effect. Such operation hitherto commonly occupied a period of at least 24 hours.

1 Our improved apparatus comprises broadly apparatus for treating chocolate by conching having a tank and a rotor mounted within said tank so that it is partly submerged in the chocolate, said rotor having blades so arranged with regard to the direction of rotary movement that they slide through the chocolate and act by surface friction to cause a rolling or sliding movement of the chocolate particles upon themselves.

According to our invention we employ a type of mixing machine comprising a semi cylindrical jacketed tank preferably having its walls extended tan gentially upwards above the level of the axis to a suitable height and having journalled in it a mixing blade comprising a radial arm near one end of the tank, a longitudinal portion extending about half way along the tank near the wall thereof, a substantially diametrical doublea rm at about the middle of the tank, another longitudinal portion extending from the central arm to near the other end of the tank and a radial arm at said other end. This mixing blade is therefore balanced and its two longitudinal members may be parallel to the axis or they may be helicoidally inclined in the same or reverse directions to one another inwardly or outwardly respectively, so as to form a reentrant or a salient angle in the sense of their rotary direction.

Taking a mixer of this type the invention consists in mounting on the longitudinal portions of the mixing blade a plurality of annular blades, the centres of which coincide with 50 the axis of rotation of the mixing blade.

These blades may be in planes perpendicular to the' axis of rotation or they form helices of small pitch, each blade preferably then forming one turn of the helix. In crosssectionthc blades may he of the shape of a V or a U, with the narrower part directed inwards. i

These additional blades serve to divide the chocolate more efficiently, especially if it is of a heavy pasty nature. They also tend to assist in causing rubbing contact of the chocolate mass upon itself owing to the tendency of the chocolate to adhere to their surfaces as they revolve. This tendency may be increased by undulating the blades on their surfaces or otherwiseproviding them with pro-tuberances whereby their churning effect on the chocolate mass will be increased in corresponding measure.

In either case the blades sweep the chocolate '1' 0 from side to side in the tank thus producing the required agitation and cause the constant working and rubbing of the particles one over the other whereby a mellow flavour is imparted to the chocolate. The operation is completed in a much shorter time than formerly.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figs. 1, 2 and 8 are respectively a longitudinal section, plan view and transverse section on the line 33 of Fig. 1 of the preferred form of apparatus.

In the form of machine shown, the tank 72, is semi-cylindrical, having its walls extended vertically upwards above the axis to a suitable height. The lower part of said tank 72, is jacketed at h for reception of a tempering medium such as steam. F

Journaled in the tank as at j, j is a mixing blade comprising a radial arm 70 near one end of the tank, a longitudinal portion k extending about half way along the tank near the wall thereof, a substantially diametrical double arm 70 about the middle of the tank, another longitudinal portion la extending from the central arm 70 to near the other end of the tank and a radial arm 70 at said other end.

Mounted on the longitudinal portions 70 70* of the mixing blade is are a plurality of perpendicular annular blades Z of V section, the centres of which coincide with the axis of rotation of said mixing blade is.

The blades Z perform the function pre viously described; that is to say, they'cause rubbing contact of the chocolate mass upon itself owing to the tendency of the chocolate to adhere to their surfaces as they slide through the mass. 4 10 A suitable outlet m for the couched chocolate may be provided.

Vhat we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is p p 15 Apparatus for conching chocolate comprising a tank,-a rotor having a sinuous mixing blade extending lengthwise of the tank, and

a plurality of annular blades mounted on said mixing blade the Surfaces of which are sub- 29 stantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotor.

In witness whereof we have signed this specification. 7

WILLIAM EDWVARD PRESCOTT. JOHN PERCIVAL BUNCE. 

